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$28K OK'd for juvenile detention center needs

Part of the maintenance listed as priorities by Bradley County Juvenile Detention Center officials will be funded by a budget line item that collects revenue from the county’s litigation tax.

According to Bradley County Finance Director Rena' Samples, the revenue is designated for the jail, workhouse and courthouse. At the Bradley County Commission’s Budget Committee meeting on Monday, Samples said at the end of January the account had collected $28,520.95.

Committee members agreed to recommend to the full county commission a budget amendment to pull $28,000 from that amount and designate $20,000 toward building maintenance for the juvenile detention center and designate $8,000 toward building maintenance for Bradley County Juvenile Court.

Maintenance issues brought up last Friday during Bradley County Commission’s Juvenile Committee meeting included the lobby floor, toilets and showers in the detention center, heat and air units, and a generator. The Juvenile Committee recommended forwarding a request for $50,613 to the Finance Committee to cover the immediate needs of the lobby floor, toilets and showers.

Juvenile Court Director Vicki Towne spoke to the Finance Committee to review the individual project quotes received by her office:

• The cost to have the lobby floor ground down, stained and sealed is $7,930; that cost also includes restaining and sealing the office area’s concrete floor.

• The cost for a dozen toilets was quoted at $41,485.

• The cost for nine showers was quoted at $1,198.

“I’m for using every penny of that money Rena’ says we’ve got,” Finance Committee member Thom Crye said, suggesting $8,000 be used for the floor and the remaining $20,000 on other priorities.

Finance Committee Chairman Milan Blake said it makes sense to move money from the litigation tax revenue line item of the budget to the juvenile detention center and Juvenile Court.

“We know she’s going to need it,” Blake said, referring to Towne.

County Commission Chairman Louie Alford suggested that funding be used to fix the floors and showers, but hold off on the showers until Finance Committee member Charlotte Peak, who works in the construction industry, can look at toilet prices.

Peak agreed, noting “the plumbing part is not making sense (to me).”

Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis told the Finance Committee that in May members can see how much has been collected by that revenue line item, and there may be enough revenue then to fix the toilets.

The full commission approved the budget amendment recommended by the Finance Committee, moving $28,000 for the needed maintenance at the juvenile detention center.